Written Answers Friday 19 January 2007

Scottish Executive

Advertising

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which journals, periodicals and newspapers carry advertisements anent the recruitment and selection of candidates for senior positions within public utilities and similar organisations.

Mr Tom McCabe: I can only answer in relation to senior recruitment in Scottish Executive departments. Public utilities and similar organisations are responsible for their own recruitment advertising. The main media outlets used to date for advertising senior positions in the Scottish Executive are The Scotsman , The Herald , The Times and their associated Sunday newspapers. Where posts are of a particularly specialist nature, professional journals are also considered.

Alcohol Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on advertising the risks associated with alcohol addiction in each year since 1997.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the question S1W-26485 answered on 3 July 2002 providing information on advertising spend by the Scottish Office/Scottish Executive relating to our alcohol advertising campaign from 1991-92 to 2001-02.

  For information for 2002-03 by department and campaign please see the answers to questions S2W-1857 and S2W-2481 on 5 September 2003 and 22 September 2003 respectively.

  For information for 2003-04 by department and campaign please see the answer to question S2W-15204 on 12 April 2005.

  Advertising spend for 2004-05 and 2005-06 is published on the Marketing Units website which can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Departments/FCSD/17963/10918

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Animal Welfare

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of animal cruelty were recorded in each of the last five years and how many have been successfully prosecuted, broken down by police force area.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following tables. The court proceedings statistics for 2005-06 are planned for publication in March 2007. The statistics dealing with recorded crime and court proceedings are not directly comparable as a person may be proceeded against for more than one crime, and a crime may be recorded in one year and court proceedings concluded in a subsequent year. Charges recorded by the police may also be altered as a result of the judicial process. Crimes alleged to have been committed by under 16 year olds are also generally dealt with through the children’s hearings system rather than the courts.

  Animal Cruelty Offences1 Recorded by the Police, by Police Force Area, 2000-01 to 2005-06

  

 Police Force Area
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Central
 13
 14
 10
 16
 18
 13


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2
 3
 9
 17
 21
 4


 Fife
 27
 8
 9
 6
 8
 7


 Grampian
 28
 21
 24
 35
 30
 32


 Lothian and Borders
 7
 10
 10
 24
 14
 60


 Northern
 21
 9
 14
 15
 15
 14


 Strathclyde
 48
 39
 44
 77
 78
 56


 Tayside
 18
 2
 7
 18
 13
 14


 Scotland
 164
 106
 127
 208
 197
 200



  Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Animal Cruelty Offences1,2, by Police Force Area, 2000-01 To 2004-05

  

 Police Force Area
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Central
 5
 2
 2
 5
 1


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2
 3
 1
 2
 3


 Fife
 2
 -
 1
 1
 3


 Grampian
 6
 2
 4
 8
 3


 Lothian and Borders
 3
 2
 2
 3
 -


 Northern
 7
 7
 6
 9
 12


 Strathclyde
 13
 18
 14
 10
 23


 Tayside
 4
 4
 2
 5
 2


 Scotland
 42
 38
 32
 43
 47



  Note:

  1. Includes offences within the Justice Department crime and offence categories of "cruelty to animals (excluding dogs)", "cruelty to dogs" and "cruelty to wild animals".

  2. Where main offence.

Animal Welfare

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is in respect of regulations dealing with transportation of puppies and other companion animals.

Ross Finnie: EC Regulation 1/2005 is now in force and it prohibits the commercial transportation of puppies and kittens under eight weeks of age, unless accompanied by their mother. A consultation on draft Regulations to require those dealing in puppies and kittens to be licensed by local authorities was issued on 4 December 2006. The consultation period ends on 23 February 2007.

Animal Welfare

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward regulations under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 to ban the sale and use of electric shock collars and similar animal training devices.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is minded to ban the use of devices that cause pain and distress unless there is a good case for them to be permitted. However, before any decision is made on whether to ban the sale and use of electric shock collars, it will be necessary to consult and seek views from organisations and individuals which oppose and support the use of such devices. Therefore we plan to issue a consultation paper seeking views on electronic dog training aids which administer an electric shock later this year. A decision on whether to bring forward regulations to ban their use and sale will be made in the light of any consultation.

Animal Welfare

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times in the last year it met the Scottish Kennel Club to discuss the issue of electric shock collars and similar animal training devices.

Ross Finnie: Officials have met the Scottish Kennel Club twice during 2006 when electric shock collars were discussed.

Building Regulations

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that replacement windows comply with building regulations.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Dr. Paul Stollard, Chief Executive of the Scottish Building Standards Agency (SBSA), to answer. His response is as follows:

  
A new guidance leaflet, Replacement Windows to 1 and 2 Storey Houses, is presently being prepared for publication and is expected to be issued to all local authorities by the end of January. The guidance, which is intended to help anyone intending to replace windows in their home, will also be published on the SBSA website and will refer to the statutory requirements within building regulations.

Care of Elderly People

Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average weekly gross charge for care home residents is in the current financial year, also shown for each local authority.

Lewis Macdonald: The figures requested are not yet available for this financial year. The following table shows the average weekly fees for September 2005 by sector and local authority.

  Average Gross Weekly Charge per Resident in Care Homes for Older People by Sector and Local Authority - September 2005

  

 Local Authority
 September 2005


 Local Authority (£)
Independent
(£)
All
(£)


 Aberdeen City
 438
 487
 480


 Aberdeenshire
 474
 454
 457


 Angus 
 455
 439
 440


 Argyll and Clyde
 768
 412
 467


 Clackmannanshire
 451
 *
 505


 Dumfries and Galloway
 --
 392
 392


 Dundee City
 634
 421
 455


 East Ayrshire
 363
 409
 405


 East Dunbartonshire
 --
 478
 478


 East Lothian
 523
 478
 488


 East Renfrewshire
 509
 470
 473


 Edinburgh, City of
 756
 564
 606


 Eilean Siar
 684
 *
 601


 Falkirk
 524
 437
 450


 Fife
 620
 445
 468


 Glasgow City
 435
 436
 435


 Highland
 523
 437
 451


 Inverclyde
 --
 442
 442


 Midlothian
 372
 455
 437


 Moray
 --
 441
 441


 North Ayrshire
 364
 439
 432


 North Lanarkshire
 510
 456
 463


 Orkney Islands
 657
 *
 621


 Perth and Kinross
 446
 441
 441


 Renfrewshire
 442
 449
 448


 Scottish Borders
 416
 422
 421


 Shetland Islands
 621
 *
 609


 South Ayrshire
 436
 453
 452


 South Lanarkshire
 271
 432
 416


 Stirling
 515
 434
 443


 West Dunbartonshire
 418
 448
 438


 West Lothian
 374
 442
 438


 Scotland
 515
 451
 460



  Source: Scottish Care Homes Census September 2005.

  Notes:

  *Where the average is based on less than five homes in the independent sector, the figure has been withheld to maintain care home confidentiality.

  --This symbol indicates that there were no local authority care homes in the local authority area.

Careers Scotland

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its plans for the demerger of Careers Scotland from Scottish Enterprise and whether it will provide the staff of Careers Scotland with a clear decision in respect of their jobs.

Nicol Stephen: The Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning announced decisions on Careers Scotland on 21 December 2006 in answer to oral question S2O-11503. That answer indicated that there will be a full options appraisal on the future structure of Careers Scotland, that the outcomes of the options appraisal will be implemented from summer 2007 and that in the meantime Scottish Enterprise (SEn) will make Careers Scotland a more distinct entity within its structure.

  In addition, the work of Careers Scotland (in both the SEn and Highlands and Islands Enterpirse areas) will be refocused on the provision of career guidance to those in transition – young people at school, those who are or are in danger of becoming NEET (Not in education, employment or training) and adults who need special help e.g. offenders or older people wanting to remain in the workplace.

  I have ensured that the staff of Careers Scotland have been fully informed of developments at every stage. They have remained dedicated and committed to carrying out their important work in the midst of this time of change and I am confident that they will continue to do so.

Devolution

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the membership of the Judicial Committee responsible for resolving any dispute between the Scottish Parliament and the Westminster Government in respect of the former’s exercise of its powers under the Scotland Act 1998.

Ms Margaret Curran: The membership of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is available on the Privy Council website, accessible at www.privy-council.org.uk .

Digital Technology

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the number and locations of wi-fi hotspots in Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally.

Drug Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many recorded convictions there have been for drug trafficking in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriff court.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons with a Charge Proved in Scottish Courts for Drug Trafficking1,2, by Court, 2000-01- 2004-05

  

 Court
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Sheriff Court
 
 
 
 
 


 Aberdeen 
 52
 47
 68
 57
 88


 Airdrie 
 23
 25
 31
 25
 29


 Alloa 
 9
 7
 17
 28
 27


 Arbroath 
 5
 9
 9
 12
 18


 Ayr 
 27
 24
 41
 40
 28


 Banff 
 1
 11
 7
 9
 5


 Campbeltown 
 6
 4
 2
 3
 2


 Cupar 
 10
 10
 8
 7
 8


 Dingwall 
 7
 2
 6
 6
 20


 Dornoch 
 -
 -
 4
 1
 1


 Dumbarton 
 24
 15
 23
 26
 37


 Dumfries 
 16
 17
 21
 6
 21


 Dundee 
 32
 17
 44
 27
 40


 Dunfermline 
 15
 17
 23
 20
 18


 Dunoon 
 4
 2
 3
 5
 5


 Duns 
 -
 -
 2
 4
 2


 Edinburgh 
 111
 103
 87
 103
 189


 Elgin 
 13
 10
 6
 16
 15


 Falkirk 
 28
 43
 43
 41
 39


 Forfar 
 16
 7
 7
 7
 11


 Fort William 
 8
 4
 8
 5
 3


 Glasgow 
 253
 249
 275
 327
 332


 Greenock 
 38
 24
 44
 43
 35


 Haddington 
 2
 5
 4
 7
 17


 Hamilton 
 63
 74
 60
 55
 83


 Inverness 
 6
 28
 14
 36
 41


 Jedburgh 
 4
 9
 7
 9
 17


 Kilmarnock 
 42
 59
 69
 103
 77


 Kirkcaldy 
 22
 23
 33
 33
 43


 Kirkcudbright
 1
 3
 1
 6
 13


 Kirkwall 
 2
 4
 3
 4
 4


 Lanark 
 5
 9
 4
 9
 4


 Lerwick 
 2
 4
 7
 1
 6


 Linlithgow 
 32
 14
 27
 27
 56


 Lochmaddy 
 -
 1
 -
 1
 1


 Oban 
 10
 7
 3
 5
 6


 Paisley 
 30
 23
 22
 25
 25


 Peebles 
 5
 2
 1
 2
 5


 Perth 
 41
 51
 52
 47
 64


 Peterhead 
 5
 11
 16
 13
 12


 Portree 
 -
 2
 3
 1
 -


 Rothesay 
 1
 -
 -
 -
 -


 Selkirk 
 7
 3
 8
 8
 10


 Stirling 
 18
 29
 21
 33
 30


 Stonehaven 
 3
 2
 1
 -
 -


 Stornoway 
 2
 2
 5
 3
 5


 Stranraer 
 9
 12
 22
 18
 19


 Tain 
 4
 7
 4
 12
 10


 Wick 
 4
 6
 7
 3
 2


 All Sheriff Courts
 1,018
 1,037
 1,173
 1,279
 1,523


 All Courts3
 1,331
 1,370
 1,524
 1,623
 1,759



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Includes illegal importation, production and supply of drugs, money laundering and other related offences.

  3. Includes High Court convictions.

Drug Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, to tackle drug misuse in each (a) local authority and (b) NHS board area and how much money has been allocated to each area for this purpose in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive provides funding, through local authorities and health boards, to Alcohol and Drug Action Teams (ADATs) to tackle drug misuse. It is up to the ADATs to decide how to allocate resources according to local needs and priorities. Detail of the services and initiatives ADATs fund are set out in their annual Corporate Action Plans which are available at: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/index.htm .

  The following table details total funding provided, since 1999, to health boards to tackle drug misuse.

  

 NHS Board
1999-2000
(£000)
2000-01
(£000)
 2001-02 
(£000)
 2002-03 
(£000)
 2003-04 
(£000)
 2004-05 
(£000)
2005-06
(£000)
2006-07
(£000)


 Argyll and Clyde
 901
 984
 1,111
 1,338
 1,388
 1,988
 2,226
 2,226


 Ayrshire and Arran
 535
 609
 737
 987
 987
 1,037
 1,155
 1,155


 Borders
 96
 118
 160
 162
 162
 170
 189
 189


 Dumfries and Galloway
 96
 124
 298
 258
 258
 271
 482
 482


 Fife
 445
 514
 698
 789
 789
 829
 1,378
 1,378


 Forth Valley
 172
 226
 462
 557
 557
 585
 828
 828


 Grampian
 972
 1,085
 1,283
 1,314
 1,314
 1,963
 2,202
 2,202


 Greater Glasgow
 3,502
 3,670
 4,387
 4,488
 4,488
 5,488
 6,392
 6,392


 Highland
 137
 181
 300
 414
 414
 435
 489
 489


 Lanarkshire
 497
 607
 862
 1,449
 1,449
 1,522
 1,591
 1,591


 Lothian
 2,776
 2,922
 3,214
 3,539
 3,539
 3,719
 4,645
 4,645


 Orkney
 16
 20
 24
 32
 32
 34
 54
 54


 Shetland
 37
 42
 46
 55
 55
 58
 72
 72


 Tayside
 1,151
 1,225
 1,348
 1,483
 1,483
 1,559
 1,965
 1,965


 Western Isles
 20
 25
 43
 87
 87
 92
 101
 101


 Total
 11,352
 12,352
 14,973
 16,952
 16,952
 19,752
 23,769
 23,769



  The following table details total funding provided, since 2001, to local authorities to tackle drug misuse.

  

 Local Authority
 2001-02 
(£000)
 2002-03 
(£000)
 2003-04 
(£000)
 2004-05
(£000)


 Aberdeen City
 282
 282
 282
 282


 Aberdeenshire
 302
 302
 302
 302


 Argyll and Bute
 119
 119
 119
 119


 Borders
 141
 141
 141
 141


 Clackmannanshire
 65
 65
 65
 65


 Dumfries and Galloway
 195
 195
 195
 195


 East Ayrshire
 161
 161
 161
 161


 East Dunbartonshire
 147
 147
 147
 147


 East Lothian
 120
 120
 120
 120


 East Renfrewshire
 119
 119
 119
 119


 East Renfrewshire
 119
 119
 119
 119


 Edinburgh City
 600
 600
 600
 600


 Falkirk
 192
 192
 192
 192


 Fife
 464
 464
 464
 464


 Glasgow City
 812
 812
 812
 812


 Highland
 277
 277
 277
 277


 Inverclyde
 113
 113
 113
 113


 Moray
 113
 113
 113
 113


 North Ayrshire
 185
 185
 185
 185


 North Lanarkshire
 436
 436
 436
 436


 North Lanarkshire
 436
 436
 436
 436


 Renfrewshire
 235
 235
 235
 235


 South Ayrshire
 152
 152
 152
 152


 South Lanarkshire
 408
 408
 408
 408


 South Lanarkshire
 408
 408
 408
 408


 Stirling
 113
 113
 113
 113


 West Dunbartonshire
 126
 126
 126
 126


 West Dunbartonshire
 126
 126
 126
 126


 Midlothian
 108
 108
 108
 108


 West Lothian
 205
 205
 205
 205


 Orkney
 26
 26
 26
 26


 Shetland
 30
 30
 30
 30


 Angus
 146
 146
 146
 146


 Dundee City
 192
 192
 192
 192


 Perth and Kinross
 178
 178
 178
 178


 Western Isles
 37
 37
 37
 37


 Total
 6,800
 6,800
 6,800
 6,800



  The following table details funding provided to health boards to support the work of ADATs.

  

 NHS Board
1999-2000
(£000)
2000-01
(£000)
 2001-02
(£000)
 2002-03 
(£000)
 2003-04
(£000)
 2004-05
(£000)
2005-06
(£000)
2006-07
(£000)


 Argyll and Clyde
 110
 110
 174
 179
 179
 179
 179
 179


 Ayrshire and Arran
 110
 110
 169
 173
 173
 173
 173
 173


 Borders
 80
 80
 113
 115
 115
 115
 115
 115


 Dumfries and Galloway
 80
 80
 117
 120
 120
 120
 120
 120


 Fife
 110
 110
 167
 169
 169
 169
 169
 169


 Forth Valley
 110
 110
 160
 161
 161
 161
 161
 161


 Grampian
 110
 110
 229
 231
 231
 231
 231
 231


 Greater Glasgow
 110
 110
 221
 232
 232
 232
 232
 232


 Highland
 110
 110
 153
 157
 157
 157
 157
 157


 Lanarkshire
 110
 110
 188
 190
 190
 190
 190
 190


 Lothian
 110
 110
 277
 281
 281
 281
 281
 281


 Orkney
 65
 65
 90
 91
 91
 91
 91
 91


 Shetland
 65
 65
 90
 91
 91
 91
 91
 91


 Tayside
 110
 110
 216
 222
 222
 222
 222
 222


 Western Isles
 65
 65
 90
 92
 92
 92
 92
 92


 Total
 1,455
 1,455
 2,455
 2,505
 2,505
 2,505
 2,505
 2,505

Drug Misuse

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what form of recording replaced the National Confidential Enquiry into Methadone Related Deaths reports and where such information can be accessed.

Cathy Jamieson: The National Investigation into all Drug-related Deaths in Scotland in 2003 was published in July 2005. A summary of this report can be accessed on the internet at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/03161745/17507 .

  Subsequently, the National Forum on Drug-related Deaths was established following publication of the Executive’s action plan, Taking Action to Reduce Drug-related Deaths, to look at trends in drug deaths and identify "hot spot" areas where there may be a need for more targeted action locally. The forum will report to ministers in the autumn.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive which drug and alcohol action teams have caps on the level of methadone treatment offered.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. Decisions on the provision of prescribing services are taken by individual health boards in the context of local need.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of offences against the person have been linked to (a) alcohol abuse and (b) use of illegal drugs in each year since 1997.

Cathy Jamieson: Other than statistics on homicide, information on whether or not particular crimes against the person are "alcohol-related" or linked to the use of illegal drugs is not held centrally. The latest available information on the drink/drug status reported for accused persons in homicide cases is included in Table 7 of the Statistics Release Homicide in Scotland, 2005-06 published by the Scottish Executive in November 2006, which can be found on the Scottish Executive’s website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/11/17112458/0 .

Economy

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the gross domestic product per capita was in each local authority area in (a) 1979, (b) 1992, (c) 1997 and (d) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Nicol Stephen: Sub-Scotland, regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates are published by the Office for National Statistics. Prior to Local Authority reorganisation in 1996, sub-Scotland GDP estimates were produced for the combined Regional Council areas. Following the introduction of the European System of Accounts in 1995, sub-Scotland GDP estimates have been estimated for European nomenclature of territorial units for statistics areas (NUTS). It should be noted that the methodological basis for GDP estimation before and after this change is not consistent.

  Table 1 presents GDP for Scotland based on factor incomes at current prices for 1979, 1991 and 1993 by Regional Council area. These ONS GDP figures were estimated biennially so there is no estimate for 1992.

  Table 1: Scottish GDP by factor incomes per head (£) at current prices by Regional Council

  

 
1979
£
1991
£
1993
£


 Scotland
 2,802
 8,269
 9,148


 Borders
 2,684
 6,949
 7,870


 Central
 3,054
 7,329
 7,880


 Dumfries and Galloway
 2,671
 7,513
 8,776


 Fife
 2,836
 7,333
 7,497


 Grampian
 3,269
 11,952
 12,982


 Highlands and Islands
 2,738
 7,529
 7,742


 Lothian
 3,008
 9,637
 11,367


 Strathclyde
 2,662
 7,549
 8,254


 Tayside
 2,630
 7,678
 8,781



  Source: Office for National Statistics, Regional Accounts.

  The factor incomes series of GDP was discontinued following the introduction of the European System of Accounts in 1995 (based upon the 1993 System of National Accounts) and replaced with GDP at basic prices (Gross Value Added or GVA).

  Table 2 presents Gross Value Added for Scotland at current basic prices for 1997 and the latest available year (2004) by European level 3 nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (NUTS3). The principal difference between the two valuations is the inclusion of net taxes on production within basic price estimates.

  Table 2: Scottish GVA per head (£) at Current Basic Prices by NUTS1, 2 and 3 Area

  

 
1997£
2004£


Scotland
11,932
16,334


North Eastern Scotland
16,604
21,638


Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and North East Moray
16,604
21,638


Eastern Scotland
12,357
16,666


Angus and Dundee City
11,183
14,754


Clackmannanshire and Fife
9,132
11,914


East Lothian and Midlothian
8,073
11,066


Scottish Borders
9,355
11,026


Edinburgh, City of
18,264
27,614


Falkirk
11,944
14,321


Perth and Kinross and Stirling
11,157
14,150


West Lothian
14,355
16,112


South Western Scotland
11,095
15,553


East and West Dunbartonshire and Helensburgh and Lomond
7,712
10,674


Dumfries and Galloway
9,311
12,036


East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire Mainland
9,361
11,145


Glasgow City
15,323
23,420


Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire and Renfrewshire
11,885
15,069


North Lanarkshire
8,526
12,835


South Ayrshire
10,849
14,419


South Lanarkshire
9,682
13,402


Highlands and Islands
8,605
12,269


Caithness and Sutherland and Ross and Cromarty
7,140
10,798


Inverness and Nairn and Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey
9,163
14,598


Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh and Argyll and the Islands
8,446
10,609


Eilean Siar
7,775
11,508


Orkney Islands
10,624
12,464


Shetland Islands
11,649
 14,742



  Source: Office for National Statistics, Regional Accounts.

  Neither the pre 1995 Regional Council, nor the more recent NUTS3 estimates, take account of differences in regional price levels (purchasing power). They are both presented at current prices and so make no adjustment for the effect of inflation. The implied growth rates will therefore differ from those published in the Quarterly GDP for Scotland series as these are presented at constant prices to remove the effect of inflation.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps could be taken to overcome any inherent structural differences between the Scottish and UK economies.

Nicol Stephen: Structural differences between economies are normal and our aim is not simply to match the UK structure.

  The Executive’s economic development strategy, the Framework for Economic Development in Scotland (FEDS), focuses on the key drivers for economic development that can enable Scottish business to compete more effectively in both domestic and international markets. It emphasises the principal drivers of the economy upon which we must focus, these being:

  
basic education and skills;
research and development and innovation;
entrepreneurial dynamism;
the electronic and physical infrastructure, and
managing public sector resources more effectively.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of (a) males and (b) females have been economically inactive in each year since 1979, broken down by local authority area.

Nicol Stephen: It is not possible to provide information on the proportion of males and females who have been economically inactive in each local authority area dating back to 1979. Information on economic activity of males and females by local authority area is only available from 1999.

  The preferred source for economic inactivity is the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for 1999 to 2003 and the Annual Population Survey (APS) for 2004 and 2005. The Annual Population Survey is an annualised version of the LFS.

  Table 1 contains data on economic inactivity rates for males of working age by Local Authority area for 1999-2005. Table 2 contains data on economic inactivity rates for females of working age by Local Authority area for 1999-2005. The estimates are based on sample surveys and as such are subject to some sampling error.

  Table 1 Economic Inactivity Rates for Working Age Males by Local Authority Area, 1999-2005

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 Aberdeen City
 14.2
 13.7
 10.9
 13.4
 14.7
 12.9
 12.7


 Aberdeenshire
 11.2
 9.1
 #
 #
 10.0
 9.7
 11.3


 Angus
 15.8
 #
 #
 20.5
 16.4
 15.2
 14.5


 Argyll and Bute
 #
 #
 #
 #
 16.5
 15.8
 17.4


 Clackmannanshire
 #
 #
 #
 #
 19.9
 17.4
 16.5


 Dumfries and Galloway
 20.9
 19.6
 15.4
 16.2
 16.6
 14.4
 14.1


 Dundee City
 18.7
 21.9
 26.6
 23.9
 21.3
 22.1
 19.1


 East Ayrshire
 17.2
 20.0
 18.2
 20.6
 17.6
 19.2
 19.6


 East Dunbartonshire
 18.4
 17.8
 #
 #
 14.9
 14.2
 13.5


 East Lothian
 #
 #
 #
 #
 19.1
 16.5
 16.5


 East Renfrewshire
 #
 #
 #
 #
 13.3
 13.0
 12.7


 Edinburgh, City of
 17.4
 16.5
 16.3
 16.6
 17.2
 16.7
 16.6


 Eilean Siar
 #
 #
 #
 #
 14.9
 17.6
 15.5


 Falkirk
 17.3
 13.8
 19.4
 18.6
 15.4
 15.3
 16.1


 Fife
 14.3
 14.2
 16.9
 18.7
 17.4
 15.8
 14.6


 Glasgow City
 34.1
 27.1
 28.5
 30.2
 25.6
 26.0
 24.6


 Highland
 14.8
 14.6
 13.8
 12.8
 12.6
 9.6
 15.4


 Inverclyde
 21.0
 22.7
 #
 26.5
 25.7
 23.7
 23.6


 Midlothian
 #
 #
 #
 #
 16.9
 14.1
 13.6


 Moray
 #
 #
 #
 #
 14.2
 16.0
 17


 North Ayrshire
 19.2
 19.0
 22.6
 22.4
 22.1
 19.3
 18.7


 North Lanarkshire
 25.3
 22.8
 20.3
 19.8
 20.3
 19.6
 20.4


 Orkney Islands
 #
 #
 #
 #
 10.8
 9.5
 11.1


 Perthshire and Kinross
 15.6
 19.0
 14.9
 #
 16.1
 14.2
 15.3


 Renfrewshire
 17.1
 18.0
 14.5
 12.7
 19.0
 20.4
 18.7


 Scottish Borders
 #
 #
 #
 18.9
 12.7
 12.7
 12.7


 Shetland Islands
 #
 #
 #
 #
 9.1
 9.4
 9.0


 South Ayrshire
 20.7
 16.7
 18.9
 20.0
 17.6
 17.5
 17.4


 South Lanarkshire
 14.5
 17.1
 15.2
 12.4
 17.9
 17.1
 17


 Stirling
 21.9
 #
 #
 #
 16.3
 14.6
 17.8


 West Dunbartonshire
 28.0
 24.6
 21.5
 20.5
 21.2
 19.2
 18.6


 West Lothian
 11.9
 11.4
 13.7
 13.2
 17.9
 13.6
 17.6



  Source: 1999-2003 Local Labour Force Survey, 2004-2005 Annual Population Survey.

  Notes:

  # These figures are suppressed as statistically unreliable.

  1. Working age is defined as males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59.

  2. Data for 1999-2003 are based on seasonal years (March to February). Data for 2004 and 2005 are based on calendar years.

  3. Proportions are calculated on unrounded figures.

  Table 2 Economic Inactivity Rates For Working Age Females by Local Authority Area, 1999-2005

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 Aberdeen City
 19.5
 23.2
 27.2
 22.6
 26.5
 25.8
 21.5


 Aberdeenshire
 26.7
 22.7
 25.8
 26.6
 24.8
 23.6
 21.0


 Angus
 26.0
 22.2
 21.1
 22.9
 26.2
 25.8
 23.5


 Argyll and Bute
 28.4
 #
 22.5
 #
 23.4
 22.2
 21.1


 Clackmannanshire
 #
 46.4
 40.7
 #
 26.4
 27.8
 29.3


 Dumfries and Galloway
 28.3
 24.5
 27.4
 21.0
 20.8
 21.8
 23.1


 Dundee City
 30.3
 27.7
 20.6
 24.8
 27.5
 27.1
 27.7


 East Ayrshire
 35.7
 35.6
 32.9
 24.8
 30.7
 27.7
 29.8


 East Dunbartonshire
 23.0
 25.8
 28.3
 26.8
 22.1
 19.5
 19.8


 East Lothian
 23.5
 31.6
 26.8
 25.3
 24.0
 22.6
 21.4


 East Renfrewshire
 25.1
 21.4
 26.8
 20.6
 22.4
 22.0
 22.0


 Edinburgh, City of
 26.3
 23.5
 23.1
 21.9
 24.2
 24.1
 21.6


 Eilean Siar
 #
 #
 #
 #
 15.2
 14.8
 16.8


 Falkirk
 26.1
 22.4
 27.7
 36.9
 26.8
 23.4
 24.1


 Fife
 25.4
 27.2
 25.3
 23.4
 23.4
 20.4
 23.9


 Glasgow City
 37.6
 35.8
 36
 32.8
 34.5
 33.0
 31.2


 Highland
 24.8
 21.8
 19.6
 15.6
 18.7
 18.5
 17.2


 Inverclyde
 #
 #
 27.9
 30.8
 28.2
 27.2
 25.4


 Midlothian
 #
 #
 #
 #
 22.7
 20.0
 19


 Moray
 #
 #
 25.5
 23.7
 19.9
 23.7
 24.3


 North Ayrshire
 35.4
 33.5
 28.1
 23.7
 31.3
 31.0
 27


 North Lanarkshire
 36
 34.7
 31.8
 29.3
 32.9
 29.6
 26.4


 Orkney Islands
 #
 #
 #
 #
 19.5
 18.0
 16.2


 Perthshire and Kinross
 17.7
 16.1
 14.7
 20.3
 23.5
 23.6
 24.9


 Renfrewshire
 24.4
 23.9
 23.8
 23.1
 24.9
 23.6
 24


 Scottish Borders
 21.9
 #
 19.5
 22.3
 21.9
 23.5
 24.2


 Shetland Islands
 #
 #
 #
 #
 18.0
 16.7
 15


 South Ayrshire
 28.9
 26.1
 24.2
 23.6
 24.8
 23.1
 25.4


 South Lanarkshire
 21.3
 27.2
 25.6
 25.6
 25.7
 24.5
 26.9


 Stirling
 34.3
 29.9
 28.5
 30.3
 25.3
 23.8
 23.8


 West Dunbartonshire
 31.6
 31.1
 24.3
 25.1
 29.1
 28.0
 28.4


 West Lothian
 23.5
 24
 19.6
 21.1
 22.1
 21.7
 22.7



  # These figures are suppressed as statistically unreliable. Source: 1999-2003 Local Labour Force Survey, 2004-05 Annual Population Survey.

  1. Working age is defined as males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59.

  2. Data for 1999-2003 are based on seasonal years (March to February). Data for 2004 and 2005 are based on calendar years.

  3. Proportions are calculated on unrounded figures.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many long-term jobs were created in each year since 1999, broken down by local enterprise area.

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its current estimate is of the ratio of workers to non-workers and what the comparative ratio was in 1997.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Aberdeen city in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Aberdeenshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Angus in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Argyll and Bute in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Clackmannanshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Dumfries and Galloway in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Dundee in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in East Ayrshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in East Dunbartonshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in East Lothian in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in East Renfrewshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Fife in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Highland in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Inverclyde in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Midlothian in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Moray in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in North Ayrshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in North Lanarkshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Orkney in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Perth and Kinross in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Renfrewshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Scottish Borders in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Shetland in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in South Ayrshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in South Lanarkshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in Stirling in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in West Dunbartonshire in each year since 1999.

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the residence-based claimant count unemployment rate was for each council ward in West Lothian in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: I have placed tables showing the residence based claimant count unemployment rates by council ward in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 41454).

  For information, data on claimant count unemployment by ward is available free of charge at the National Online Manpower Information Website (NOMIS) which can be accessed at: www.nomisweb.co.uk.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what requirements there are for local authorities to ensure that carbon monoxide detectors are in place in (a) sheltered housing, (b) care homes and (c) general housing stock under their control containing gas central heating or gas fires.

Rhona Brankin: Gas safety is a matter reserved to the UK Parliament and dealt with by the Health and Safety Executive. Installation of carbon monoxide detectors is not mandatory.

European Council

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which European Council meetings since 1999 Scottish ministers have led the UK delegation, as defined in Article 146 of the Maastricht Treaty, detailing the names of the relevant ministers, the subjects discussed and decisions taken in each case.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-23043 on 2 March 2006, and S2W-30519, on 16 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

European Council

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive in which European Council meetings Scottish ministers have participated since May 1999, detailing the names of the relevant ministers, the subjects discussed and decisions taken in each case.

Mr Tom McCabe: Details of Scottish Executive ministerial attendance at European Union Council of Ministers meetings are available on the Scottish Executive website at:

  
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/International-Relations/Europe/Page6.


  Information on the subjects discussed and decisions taken is available on the Council of the European Union website at:

  
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=221&lang=en&mode=g.

Flooding

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the erratic flooding in Tayside in recent summers and winters merits a national response.

Sarah Boyack: Flood risk management arrangements are already addressed at a national level. After the extreme flood events of the summer of 2002, an Ad Hoc Committee of Ministers, chaired by the Deputy First Minister, was instigated to consider the arrangements for addressing flood risk in Scotland. In February 2003 the Cabinet agreed a Statement of Commitments and an action plan in the form of the National Flooding Framework; this aims to address the problems of flooding through four areas of action, namely awareness, avoidance, alleviation and assistance. In addition, the Flooding Issues Advisory Committee was set up in 2005 to assist in the on-going development of national policy on sustainable flood management, and to help implement the National Flooding Framework.

Flooding

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided for flood prevention schemes in Tayside since 1999.

Sarah Boyack: The funding provided to support flood prevention schemes promoted since 1999 by Perth and Kinross Council, which covers all of the schemes in the catchment of the River Tay, is set out in the following table:

  

 Year
Funding Provided
(£)


 2006-07
 1,092,493


 2005-06
 nil


 2004-05
 744,747


 2003-04
 1,714,225


 2002-03
 1,962,628


 2001-02
 313,856


 2000-01
 2,803,215


 1999-2000
 4,550,455

Flooding

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that future flood prevention schemes are fit for purpose.

Sarah Boyack: When making a flood prevention scheme the onus is on the local authority to ensure that its scheme is fit for purpose. To assist local authorities in this aim the Executive is issuing guidance to local authorities on best practice for the promotion of flood prevention schemes under the current statutory framework in Scotland. The guidance is modular in format: two chapters – one on economic appraisal and the other covering approaches to risk – have already been issued and we expect further chapters to be issued over the course of this year. Copies of the chapters issued are available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/10/0794935/49364 .

Flooding

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop an early warning system to forewarn coastal communities of potential storm and flood events.

Sarah Boyack: Following the coastal flooding experienced around Scotland in January 2005, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) was asked by the Scottish Executive if a national solution could be developed to provide a general early alert of coastal flooding.

  My predecessor, Rhona Brankin MSP, agreed that, a solution based on the Met Office Storm Tide Forecasting Service be developed by SEPA to provide Flood Watch (an early alert of the possibility of flooding) for nine broad coastal areas. This has been funded by the Scottish Executive as an extension to the existing Storm Tide Forecasting Service.

  Alerts from the Storm Tide Forecasting Service are received by SEPA when sea levels are forecast to exceed predetermined thresholds. Messages can then be posted to the "Floodline" service and to flood warning partners giving around 12 hours warning of conditions that may lead to flooding.

  If trials are successful and staff training can be completed in time, this service will go live in February 2007.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students from Scotland have studied at foreign universities under the Erasmus programme in each year since 1998, also expressed as a percentage of participating students from the United Kingdom.

Nicol Stephen: The following table shows the requested information for students from Scottish higher education institutions for each year between 1998-99 and 2005-06:

  

 Year
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Number of Students
 1,215
 1,202
 1,081
 1,109
 949
 944
 1,019
 982


 % of UK Total
 12.1%
 11.9%
 12.0%
 13.1%
 11.9%
 12.5%
 14.1%
 13.8%



  This information has been provided by the UK Socrates-Erasmus Council which coordinates the Erasmus Programme within the UK and is coded for the location of the Higher Education Institution.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students from Scottish institutions have studied at foreign universities under the Erasmus programme in each year since 1998

Nicol Stephen: The following table shows the requested information for students from Scottish higher education institutions for each year between 1998-99 and 2005-06.

  

 Year
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Number of Students
 1,215
 1,202
 1,081
 1,109
 949
 944
 1,019
 982



  This information has been provided by the UK Socrates-Erasmus Council which coordinates the Erasmus Programme within the UK and is coded for the location of the higher education institution.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to students studying abroad on programmes such as the Erasmus programme and how it will increase this support.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24258 on 23 March 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students from institutions furth of Scotland have studied at Scottish institutions under the Erasmus programme in each year since 1998.

Nicol Stephen: The following table provides the figures requested for overseas students studying at Scottish institutions through the Erasmus Programme for each year since 1998-99.

  

 Year
 1998-99
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Number of Students
 2,320
 2,455
 2,376
 2,261
 2,165
 2,245
 2,168



  The figures for incoming students in 2005-06 are not yet available.

  This information has been provided by the UK Socrates-Erasmus Council which coordinates the Erasmus Programme within the UK.

Higher Education

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students on Erasmus programmes at Scottish universities receive exemption from tuition fees.

Nicol Stephen: In the academic year 2003-04 (the most recent year for which we have figures), 2,168 incoming students attended Scottish Institutions through the Erasmus Programme. It is a condition of the Erasmus Programme that host institutions may not request payment of tuition fees from incoming students on the Erasmus programme. This condition applies to all participating institutions.

  Source: Statistics provided by the UK Socrates Erasmus Council.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to direct bodies that administer former local authority housing after transfer, such as Glasgow Housing Association, to ensure that tenant members of their boards are elected from all tenants and not only from members of local housing organisations.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows.

  Housing associations are independent organisations. Every housing association must operate in line with its constitution in filling any membership places on its board, including tenant members. Communities Scotland, as housing regulator, would expect the board to demonstrate that this process enables tenants, if they wish, to participate in the management of the organisation.

  Glasgow Housing Association’s (GHA’s) constitution states that elections will be held for the tenant board members and that such elections will allow all tenants either directly or indirectly to be involved in the election of tenant board members. It is for the GHA’s board to decide how elections will be held.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that transparency and democratic governance in accordance with the Langlands principles are adopted by organisations operating large-scale social housing following transfer from local authority control.

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure the transparency and democratic governance of the Glasgow Housing Association in accordance with the Langlands principles.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland published on 1 November 2006 a Regulatory Code of Governance, based on the Langlands Principles. This code is statutory guidance and sets out the governance standards we expect all Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) regulated by Communities Scotland to achieve. This includes taking informed, transparent decisions and being openly accountable to stakeholders. We expect RSLs to identify what they may need to do to comply with the code and take any action to do so as soon as practicable.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) will make use of its bank facility of £700 million to urgently address penetrating damp, poor roofing and guttering, old wiring, asbestos, stored undrinkable water and hard-to-heat housing, given that 80% of GHA’s housing stock does not meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, mainly in respect of dampness and a lack of thermal efficiency.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  All social landlords, including the GHA, are required to produce a Standard Delivery Plan setting out how they intend to meet the requirements of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. These plans set out the level of investment required to meet and maintain the Standard and how the landlord will meet these costs. The GHA’s current Standard Delivery Plan indicates that it will begin to draw on its borrowing facility this financial year. Communities Scotland will monitor all social landlords to ensure they remain on target to deliver the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what notice the Chief Executive of Glasgow Housing Association gave the Executive of his intention to resign his post.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was aware that the Chief Executive of Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) was about to resign his post before the Executive’s recent announcement of a significant increase in the cost of GHA’s second stage housing stock transfer.

Des McNulty: The resignation of the Chief Executive of Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) is a matter for the GHA. However, the Scottish Executive was informed by the GHA board, shortly before the resignation was announced publicly, that the Chief Executive was intending to resign his post.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a new Chief Executive of Glasgow Housing Association has been identified and what timescale has been set for the appointment.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
This is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) as an independent housing association. It is for GHA’s board to recruit and appoint a new Chief Executive. The board has said that plans to recruit a new Chief Executive are underway.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the salary scale will be for the new Chief Executive of Glasgow Housing Association.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
This is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) as an independent housing association. The information requested is not held by the Scottish Executive. It is for individual housing associations to set the appropriate salary scale for their members of staff.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for Glasgow Housing Association to make progress under a new Chief Executive to achieve second stage housing stock transfer.

Des McNulty: The Board of Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) has committed itself to taking forward the approach to second stage transfer set out in Malcolm Chisholm’s letter of 6 December 2006 to the Chair of the GHA Board (a copy of the letter is available on the Communities Scotland website at: http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk ).

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a right of appeal for members of the board of the Glasgow Housing Association against expulsion from the board.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows.

  
Communities Scotland has no plans to introduce a right of appeal. This is a matter for the board of Glasgow Housing Association.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to remove restrictions on the election of tenant members to the board of Glasgow Housing Association.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows.

  
This is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) as an independent housing association. GHA must operate in line with its constitution in filling any membership places on its board, including tenant members. GHA’s constitution states that elections will be held for tenant board members and that such elections will allow all tenants either directly or indirectly to be involved in the election of tenant board members. It is for GHA’s board to determine such elections. Communities Scotland, as housing regulator, would expect the board to demonstrate that the election process enables tenants, if they wish, to participate in the management of the organisation.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make compulsory the circulation of all technical reports and competitive tendering documents to all tenants of the Glasgow Housing Association.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows.

  
Glasgow Housing Association is an independent housing association. Communities Scotland, as the housing regulator, has no plans to make the circulation of all technical reports and competitive tendering documents to all tenants of the Glasgow Housing Association compulsory.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to prevent the next chief executive officer of the Glasgow Housing Association from holding a place on its board.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
This is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) as an independent housing association. All housing associations regulated by Communities Scotland are permitted to co-opt their senior member of staff onto their governing body.

Housing

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (Sol): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the Glasgow Housing Association and all its subsidiary and associated companies use the public appointments process to refresh their independent board membership.

Rhona Brankin: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  
This is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) as an independent housing association. GHA must operate in line with its constitution in filling any membership places on its board. Communities Scotland, as the housing regulator, expects all housing associations to consider the skills, knowledge and experience that it needs of its board members.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30418 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 December 2006, how Glasgow Housing Association has spent the £160,150,000 that it claimed from the Secured Repayable Grant.

Rhona Brankin: Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) has spent the Secured Repayable Grant funding it has claimed so far on delivery of its business objectives as set out in its Business Plan. GHA is currently consulting on its draft 30-year Business Plan for 2007-08 (available on the GHA website at http://www.gha.org.uk in which it states that this funding, along with annual rental income, is committed to: home and neighbourhood improvements, providing housing services, community regeneration and running the local housing organisation network and support services.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30419 by Malcolm Chisholm on 19 December 2006, how Glasgow Housing Association has spent the £50,000,000 that it claimed from the Contingent Efficencies Grant.

Rhona Brankin: Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) has spent the Contingent Efficiencies Grant funding it has claimed so far on delivery of its business objectives as set out in its Business Plan. GHA is currently consulting on its draft 30-year Business Plan for 2007-08 (available on the GHA website at http://www.gha.org.uk in which it states that this funding, along with annual rental income, is committed to: home and neighbourhood improvements, providing housing services, community regeneration and running the local housing organisation network and support services.

Housing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the number of houses affected by (a) dampness and (b) condensation.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish House Condition Survey for the year from October 2003 to September 2004 estimates that around 103,000 households in Scotland (5%) live in dwellings showing signs of rising or penetrating damp. The survey estimates that around 243,000 households (11%) live in dwellings showing signs of condensation.

Income

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of Scotland’s annual income per household.

Rhona Brankin: The following table presents the median annual household income estimates for Scotland based on the Family Resources Survey.

  Table: Median annual household income for Scotland, 2004-05

  £ per year

  

 Equivalised Net Disposable Household Income, Before Housing Costs)
 Equivalised Net Disposable Household Income, After Housing Costs


 18,169
 16,294



  Source: Households Below Average Income, DWP.

  Further information can be found in the latest Scottish Households Below Average Income 2004-05 publication http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/95793/0023203.pdf.

  Notes:

  Net disposable household income: Total income after deductions for income tax, National Insurance Contributions, council tax, pension contributions and maintenance payments.

  Housing costs: Net disposable income but with rent/mortgage payments, water charges, structural insurance premiums, ground rent and service charges deducted.

  Equivalised net disposable household income: ‘Equivalised’ Income is used to allow comparisons of living standards between different household types. Income is adjusted to take into account variations in the size and composition of the household. This adjustment reflects the fact that a family of several people requires a higher income than a single person in order for both households to enjoy a comparable standard of living. The key assumption is that all individuals in the household benefit equally from the combined (equivalised) income of the household. There are distinct equivalence scales used for income before housing costs (BHC) and income after housing costs (AHC).

  Median: The income value which divides a population, when ranked by income, into two equal-sized groups. The measure is most commonly used to represent average income due to the highly skewed nature of the income distribution, which leads to the very high incomes of a few having a disproportionate impact on the mean.

Justice

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Justice will meet residents of Milton, Glasgow, to allay any fears that they may have in respect of the homicide rate and level of crime in the area.

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the level of violence in the Milton area of Glasgow, whether the Strathclyde Police Violence Reduction Unit will target this area as a matter of urgency.

Cathy Jamieson: I fully understand the fears of the people of Milton and would reaffirm that the Executive and I remain fully committed to reducing violence within every community in Scotland. Strathclyde Police have the responsibility to deal with crime in Milton and I can assure concerned residents that the national Violence Reduction Unit and Executive will support the police to fulfil their operational responsibilities in that area.

Justice

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances it is permissible to hold an arrested person in a police cell overnight.

Cathy Jamieson: Section 22 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 states that where a person has been arrested and charged with an offence which may be tried summarily, the officer in charge of a police station may:

  
(a) liberate them upon a written undertaking, signed by them and certified by the officer, in terms of which the person agrees to appear at a specified court at a specific time;
(b) liberate them without any such undertaking, or 
(c) refuse to liberate them.


  A person who is not liberated should be brought into court on the next day it sits after the day of the arrest. It is a matter for the police how they deal with individual cases.

Justice

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish the report on the role of prison visiting committees and, if so, when.

Cathy Jamieson: We intend to publish the report Review of Prison Visiting Committees by March 2007.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimates are of the number of people who are (a) unemployed, (b) economically inactive and (c) economically inactive but fit and able to work.

Nicol Stephen: The latest available data on the composition of economic inactivity is for the period of July to September 2006. The number of people who were unemployed in this period was 131,000. The number of people of working age who were economically inactive was 641,000 of which 397,000 were economically inactive for reasons other than being sick or disabled.

Local Government Finance

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued any indicative figures for Aggregate External Finance to local authorities for 2008-09 and 2009-10 and, if so, what these figures are for each local authority.

Mr Tom McCabe: No. The Aggregate External Finance (AEF) totals for the period 2008-11 will not be known until after the conclusion of the 2007 Spending Review. Under the expected timetable, local authorities would be notified of the new figures in late November or early December 2007.

Maratime Issues

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish data gathering equipment such as monitoring buoys or tidal measuring stations west of the Outer Hebrides.

Sarah Boyack: Tidal measuring stations at key locations in the Outer Hebrides would improve understanding of the coastal processes and performance of the Storm Tide Forecasting Service model, on which flood watch and flood warning alerts are based.

  The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has been in discussion with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and have agreed that they will work together on this issue.

  The installation of tidal measuring stations and the provision of the staff resource to maintain sites and to process and analyse data, should be implemented in partnership with other Storm Tide Forecasting Service partners i.e. the Environment Agency, Proudman Oceanographic Lab, Met Office and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, to ensure that the data is collected to the standard required to feed back into the Storm Tide Forecasting Service.

NHS Contracts

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30581 by Mr Tom McCabe on 4 January 2007, what the value is of its contract with Serco Integrated Services and how much it has paid to Serco in each year since the contract commenced.

Mr Tom McCabe: The value of the Serco Integrated Services contract is £10.4 million, based on a five year contract which has an end date of 30 March 2007. There is an option for an extension by two additional one year periods however these have yet to be taken up.

  The following table shows the expenditure due under the contract on an annual basis broken down into financial years. Payments have been made to Serco in accordance with all submitted/agreed invoices.

  

 Financial Year
 Expenditure


 2002-03
£1,862,943


 2003-04
£2,006,237


 2004-05
£1,931,091


 2005-06
£2,231,240


 2006 – 31-12-2006
£1,912,395

NHS Hospitals

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what updated information it has in respect of the facilities which will be available at Monklands Hospital compared with those promised during the consultation on "A Picture of Health".

Lewis Macdonald: As the member is aware, under NHS Lanarkshire’s proposals for the reconfiguration of health services across Lanarkshire which I approved on 21 August 2006, Monklands Hospital will fulfil a vital role in providing planned acute services for the people of Lanarkshire.

  In addition, in December I approved the development of the Lanarkshire Cancer Unit at Monklands which further adds to the important role to be played by Monklands Hospital in the future delivery of health care for the whole of Lanarkshire.

  NHS Lanarkshire is now taking forward detailed planning to inform the development of clinical service models to ensure the delivery of safe, sustainable and high quality services at Monklands. The services NHS Lanarkshire plans to deliver at Monklands Hospital are listed in the following table.

  

 Out-Patients and Day Care Services
 In-Patient Services


 Full diagnostic out-patient and day care facilities 
Planned surgery not requiring intensive care including:
general surgery
 breast surgery
 ophthalmology
 urology
 orthopaedics 


 Minor Injuries and Illness Services (Community Casualty Unit)
 Nurse-led high dependency 


 Primary Care Out of Hours Services 
 Five day oncology ward


 All consultant led oncology and the majority of consultant-led haematology specialist out-patients
 Dermatology


 Day case facility for oncology and the major day case facility of haematology 
 Rehabilitation services for older people including orthopaedic rehabilitation 


 Nurse-led chemotherapy 
 Continuing care of older people 


 Renal dialysis
 Acute adult psychiatry 


 
 Acute old age psychiatry

National Park

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what economic, social or environmental benefits have arisen as a result of the designation and management of the Cairngorms National Park.

Sarah Boyack: The Cairngorms National Park was designated in 2003. It would not be meaningful at this early stage to attempt an assessment of the economic, social and environmental benefits arising from the designation; since many of the benefits which the National Park designation sought to achieve will only be fully realised over a longer period of time. The National Park Authority, like other public bodies, will be subject to review after its first five years of operation and I envisage that that would provide a first opportunity for an assessment of the benefits which the designation has secured.

  In the meantime, the annual reports of the National Park Authority (copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 41116, 38506, and 34782) provide a detailed account of the work which it has undertaken. For example, the National Park Authority was able to report in its 2005-06 Annual Report its success in becoming the first national park authority in the UK to secure award of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.

New Deal

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed under the successor programmes to the New Deal, broken down by programme and age group.

Nicol Stephen: New Deal programmes still exist so there is no successor to these programmes at present.

Pensions

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the UK Government in respect of the impact on Scotland of its proposals to raise the state pension age, in light of the average lifespan in Scotland being less than that in the United Kingdom, and whether the Executive has made any assessment of the likely impact of these proposals on its own policies and budget, including the eligibility criteria for concessionary fares and similar initiatives.

Rhona Brankin: Scottish ministers fully endorse the UK proposals to raise the state pension age. The Executive is actively engaged in assessing the potential impact of the pension proposals on its own policies and is liaising with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure that Scottish circumstances are taken into account in taking forward pension reform.

Police

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many retired police officers have been re-employed on a contract or other basis by each police force in each of the last two years and what level of remuneration is paid to such returning officers.

Cathy Jamieson: This information is not held centrally. The recruitment of police officers and police support staff is a matter for individual chief constables.

Police

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the police or the Ministry of Defence about policing policy in respect of the Faslane 365 campaign.

Cathy Jamieson: None. Policing within the Faslane base is carried out by the MOD Police and is a reserved matter. Policing outside the perimeter of Faslane is carried out by Strathclyde Police and operational policing is a matter for individual chief constables.

Ports

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the impact of an acquisition of Forth Ports plc by a foreign buyer; what effect such an acquisition would have on Edinburgh and its economy, and what action it plans to take on the matter.

Tavish Scott: We are not aware of any proposals for acquisition of Forth Ports plc by a foreign buyer, other than speculation in the press.

Poverty

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest estimate is of the number of children living in (a) absolute and (b) relative poverty and what the comparative figures were in May (i) 1997, (ii) 1999 and (iii) 2003.

Rhona Brankin: The information requested is available in the publication Scottish Households Below Average Income, 2004-05 which is available either in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39177) or on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/95793/0023203.pdf .

Prison Service

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff have had their posts evaluated and downgraded in each year since 2000.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  There have been 230 job evaluations within this period.

  

 Year
 Number of Evaluations of Posts Resulting in an Outcome of a Low Pay Band


 2000
 1


 2001
 22


 2002
 22


 2003
 5


 2004
 1


 2005
 5


 2006
 9

Prison Service

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff who have had their posts evaluated and downgraded have not been given pay protection in each year since 2000.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  
The SPS does not hold data on this. Generally staff would move on to pay protection unless they were assigned to another role at their substantive pay band following evaluation of the role they occupied.

Prison Service

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff who have had their posts evaluated and downgraded have been given a job at a lower pay level in each year since 2000.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
We do not hold information on individuals’ progression after the evaluation of a role.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders are known to have reoffended within (a) 24 hours, (b) 48 hours, (c) one week and (d) one month of release from prison in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not available. The most recent available statistics relate to reconvictions and are presented in the statistics release Reconvictions of offenders discharged from custody or given non-custodial sentences in 2002-03, Scotland . This release includes information on the six month, one year and true year reconviction rates of offenders discharged from custody in 2002-03 and can be accessed from the Scottish Executive website via the link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/10/30144610/0 .

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of prisoners have a child under 18 years old.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25930 on 23 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent estimate is of the average cost per year of keeping an offender in (a) an adult prison and (b) a young offenders’ institution, broken down by main budget heading.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  
The SPS Annual Report and Accounts for 2005-2006, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 40385) or via the Scottish Prison Service website at www.sps.gov.uk provides information in respect of the expenditure incurred in the Scottish Prison Service. The cost per prisoner place is not available separately for adult prisons and young offender institutions.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were housed (a) with one other person in a cell designated for one and (b) with two other persons in a cell designated for two in each of the last 10 years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
Information at that level of detail is not collected.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many suicides there were in prisons classified as overcrowded in each of the last 10 years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Electronic information is only available for the period since 2001.

  

 Prison
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005
 2006


 Aberdeen
 1
 2
 
 6
 
 1


 Barlinnie
 2
 
 
 2
 5
 5


 Dumfries
 
 
 
 1
 
 


 Edinburgh
 1
 1
 1
 
 
 1


 Greenock
 1
 1
 
 
 
 


 Inverness
 
 
 
 1
 
 1


 Perth
 1
 1
 6
 1
 2
 1


 Total
 6
 5
 7
 11
 7
 9



  The prisons identified in the table have had periods where prisoner numbers have exceeded the design capacity for those particular prisons.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment have been released in each of the last 10 years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
Information on the time spent in custody by persons first released from life sentences can be found in Appendix C of the 2005 Annual Report of the Parole Board for Scotland. A link to this document, which is on the Parole Board for Scotland website at: http://www.scottishparoleboard.gov.uk/pdf/Parole%20Board%202005.pdf.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners were convicted for drug offences in each of the last 10 years.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
The number of direct sentenced receptions to prison where the main crime was a drugs crime in each of the last ten financial years are given in the following table:


  

 Year
 Male
 Female
 Total


 1996-97
 933
 58
 991


 1997-98
 955
 64
 1,019


 1998-99
 876
 84
 960


 1999-2000
 809
 70
 879


 2000-01
 763
 69
 832


 2001-02
 806
 81
 887


 2002-03
 864
 85
 949


 2003-04
 867
 102
 969


 2004-05
 844
 126
 970


 2005-06
 880
 125
 1,005

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were prosecuted for offences committed in prison involving (a) violence, (b) drugs and (c) threatening or abusive behaviour and how many offences were committed involving two or more of these categories in each year since 1997-98.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
Prosecution is a matter for the Crown Office Procurator Fiscals Office who do not routinely inform the Scottish Prison Service of such cases.

Prison Service

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding HM Prison Inverness received for being above the contracted level of 150 places at any points from 1 April 2006 to 31 December 2006 and how this was calculated.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
HM Prison Inverness is not contracted to provide additional prisoner places.

Prison Service

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms the Scottish Prison Service employs to determine the workload of individual prisons and its impact on each prison’s workforce and key functions.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  
Each public sector prison is subject to a performance contract which identifies the required outputs and the resources provided. These are determined on an annual basis.

Prison Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what interim arrangements it has put in place to protect and promote the rights of prisoners aged under 21, following the expiry of the remit of prison visiting committees (VC) for young offenders’ institutions (YOI).

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  
Interim arrangements were put in place by SPS to allow existing YOI VC members who have re-applied for an appointment to continue in their role until new appointments are made.


  Additionally some existing YOI VC members, who have not reapplied, agreed to continue in their role until new appointees are in place.

Public Appointments

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what formal procedure will be put in place anent the recruitment and selection of a director of corporate affairs for Scottish Water.

Sarah Boyack: Staff recruitment and selection, and the procedures underpinning these, are matters for Scottish Water to determine. I understand Scottish Water is in the final stages of recruiting a director of communications (formerly corporate affairs) and will make an announcement shortly.

Public Bodies

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an up-to-date list of the cross-border public authorities as defined in the Scotland Act 1998.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scotland Act 1998 (Cross-Border Public Authorities) (Specification) Order 1999 (S.I.1999/1319) sets out the cross-border public authorities as specified under section 88 of the Scotland Act 1998. A copy of this order can be found in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 23320).

  Only one such order has ever been made. The statutory framework for the operation of new bodies with devolved and non-devolved functions created since devolution is set out in the relevant establishing statutes.

Public Private Partnerships

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) public private partnerships and (b) private finance initiative contracts have been entered into by the Executive; what assets were transferred to the private sector as part of each deal and what the value of these assets was; what the total cost is of each contract, and what estimate was made of what the cost would have been to the Executive of traditional procurement over the life of each contract.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive has entered into five PFI/PPP contracts: Skye Bridge, M6 DBFO, HM Prison Kilmarnock, M77, and HM Prison Addiewell. Information on Skye Bridge has not been included in this answer as it is no longer a PPP contract. No assets have been transferred to the private sector as part of each contract.

  The total unitary charges of the M6 DBFO and the M77 contracts are £758.7 million and £521.2 million respectively. The total cost for HM Prison Kilmarnock can be found in the answer to question S1W-24355 on 10 April 2002 and information on the cost for HM Prison Kilmarnock is available in the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) Annual Reports which can be found at: http://www.sps.gov.uk/Default.asp?menuid=230.

  The total cost for HM Prison Addiewell can be found in the answer to question S2W-30009 on 5 December 2006 and details of the cost will be published in the SPS Annual Report and Accounts once the prison opens.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  The unitary charge is the amount paid by the public sector procuring body to the private sector consortium for the services it provides over the length of the contract. The services include capital construction, lifecycle maintenance and facilities management and, in the case of the prisons, includes operational services.

  The PPP procurement route requires that each project must show value for money against a conventional procurement route before being selected, taking all relevant costs and benefits into account.

  In relation to the M6, a National Audit Office report was published in April 1999 The PFI Contract to Complete and Operate A74(M)/M74 Motorway in Scotland which provides information on the relevant comparisons. This publication is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 21222). In relation to the estimated cost of traditional procurement for the M77, the NPV of the risk adjusted public sector comparator figure was £139.914 million.

  In relation to the estimated cost of traditional procurement for HM Prison Kilmarnock and HM Prison Addiewell, the relevant comparisons are published in the Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estate Review which can be found at: www.sps.gov.uk/Library/Keydocs/Miscellaneous.

Rail Network

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still intends to reopen the Waverley railway line and, if so, when construction tendering will commence and what the maximum cost will be.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is committed to the reopening of the Waverley railway line. Under the current programme, construction tendering will commence in summer 2008. The most recent estimate of the maximum cost provided by the Waverley Railway Partnership is £129.61 million at 2002 prices.

Research and Development

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimates the (a) total and (b) business spend was on research and development in both cash terms and as a percentage of gross domestic product in 2006; how these figures compare with those for the United Kingdom, and what the comparative figures were in (i) 1997 and (ii) 1999.

Nicol Stephen: Figures for 2006 are not yet available. The latest available data is shown in the following tables:

  Gross Expenditure on Research and Development

  

 
 
 1997
 1999
 2003


 Scotland 
£ millions
 811
 1,004
 1,355


 % of GDP
 1.17
 1.34
 1.51


 UK 
£ millions
 14,654
 16,969
 20,824


 % of GDP
 1.78
 1.84
 1.85



  Source: Office for National Statistics.

  Business Expenditure on Research and Development

  

 
 
 1997
 1999
 2005


 Scotland 
£ millions
 291
 393
 584


 % of GDP
 0.43
 0.53
 0.59


 UK 
£ millions
 9,556
 11,302
 13,410


 % of GDP
 1.16
 1.23
 1.08



  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 2003

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive why the River Annan is excluded from the restrictions on fishing without legal right in the Solway in section 26(1) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 2003.

Sarah Boyack: The Solway Firth Fisheries Act 1804 created a separate fishing regime for the Solway Firth and the rivers flowing into it, including the River Annan. Section 9 of that act provided restrictions on fishing without legal right. The Annan Fisheries Act 1841 removed the River Annan from the area covered in the 1804 act, bringing that district into line with the rest of Scotland. At the time of consolidation in 2003, section 9 was the only part of the 1804 act still in force, and the Scottish Law Commission did not recommend that it be repealed without re-enactment. Section 26 of the 2003 act simply consolidated the legislation in force at that time.

Scottish Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider transferring Scottish Enterprise’s responsibilities and budgets for the development of the creative industries to Creative Scotland.

Nicol Stephen: Scotland’s creative industries are a real success, and a tribute to the nation’s long-established talent for innovation and entrepreneurial skill. They also contribute strongly to the economy.

  The Executive wants to maximise the sector’s long term potential. We plan to assess the extent to which there are gaps in current enterprise network support for the creative industries; which agencies should provide those services, and whether the services could be provided in a more effective manner. It would not be appropriate to consider any change in responsibilities before this assessment is complete.

Scottish Executive

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much land owned by it or its agencies is (a) vacant or (b) derelict.

Mr Tom McCabe: The asset management strand of the Efficient Government programme is actively targeting the issue of efficient use of public resources; including vacant and derelict land in the ownership of the wider Executive. The property records of the Executive and its agencies show the ownership of land, not the use to which it is put and does not permit a direct answer to be readily given to the question. The underlying principle is that the Executive should hold assets where there is a good reason for doing so and that other assets should be disposed of. Work is ongoing to establish the opportunities for rationalisation to ensure that our portfolio is taut and meets the needs of our organisation. As this work develops we will keep the member updated.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30357 by Patricia Ferguson on 21 December 2006, whether any local authority requested additional funding over and above the in principle allocation.

Patricia Ferguson: As I noted in the answer to question S2W-30591 on 15 January 2007, in principle allocations at Stage 1 are only intended to give an indication of financial support which may be available for any project. However, actual investment decisions are only made after receipt of a Stage 2 application and after careful consideration of such by sportscotland.

  Stage 2 applications have been received from Glasgow City Council, in relation to Toryglen and Scotstoun, Aberdeen City Council and Stirling Council. Investment decisions have been made in respect of Glasgow (Toryglen) and Aberdeen and the Stage 2 applications from Glasgow in relation to Scotstoun and Stirling are currently under consideration.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30357 by Patricia Ferguson on 21 December 2006, what criteria it will use in determining a request from a local authority for additional funding over and above the in principle allocation.

Patricia Ferguson: As I noted in my response to S2W-30591 on 15 January 2007, in principle allocations at Stage 1 are only intended to give an indication of financial support which may be available for any project. However, actual investment decisions are only made after receipt of a Stage 2 application and after careful consideration of such by sportscotland.

  Decisions on whether to invest and the level of investment are the responsibility of sportscotland. Sportscotland will consider making a Stage 2 investment decision based on the merits of the project under consideration and the level of funding requested. No project is pre-judged.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30357 by Patricia Ferguson on 21 December 2006, from which budget additional funding for the Aberdeen City Council stadium project has been allocated.

Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30591 on 15 January 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Sport

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding has been allocated for school sport in the Stirling parliamentary constituency in each year since 1999 and what it has been spent on.

Hugh Henry: From 1999 to 2004 Stirling Council benefited from the Lottery funded School Sport Coordinator Programme and also the Active Primary School Pilot Programme (Exchequer funded). Since 2004, sportscotland have provided investment to local authorities through Active Schools. Stirling currently has the following seven full-time and six part-time staff supporting school sport.

  

 School Sport Coordinator Programme 
 1999-2004 
£40, 250 


 This consisted of 2 awards - £28,590 (actual award was £73,080) and £11,660 (original award £11,805). This was a rolling programme which due to its nature is difficult to split into annual years.


 Active Primary School Pilot Programme 
 2001-02 
£75,000


 
 2002-03 
£90,000


 
 2003-04 
£103,698


 Active Schools 
 2004-05 
£233,340


 
 2005-06 
£233,340


 
 2006-07 
£234,180



  School sport in Stirling has also benefited from investment which targets deprived and disadvantaged communities. In 2002, Stirling Council received a three year social inclusion partnership award for £31,000 for the Sportstart Programme. This programme is part of their Active Communities Plan and is an innovative programme which delivers physical activity opportunities in Stirling’s regeneration areas. In 2005 the programme was extended and received an award through sportscotland’s Community Regeneration Fund of £51,000 over three years. This revised programme is fully integrated with the work of the Active Schools Team. The proposed programme will operate for three blocks throughout the year, using sport and physical activity as a means of developing and equipping young people with the basic skills, attitudes and behaviours to encourage life-long participation together with developing a local coaching base.

  Investment in school sport in Stirling includes a facilities award of £200,000 in 2000 to Balfron High School under the sportscotland lottery Community and School Facilities programme.

  Stirling Council also receives investment into Clubgolf, a Scottish Executive priority to give every child in Scotland the opportunity to experience golf and through this to encourage participation in the sport and improve performance. Stirling Council benefit from a Regional Development Manager Post which also covers the Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian Areas. Within Stirling Council, Clubgolf is fully integrated within the Active Schools Plan and is currently being delivered in four of the six cluster areas. The sportscotland investment for this programme was:

  

 
 
 Staffing
 Development Budget


 Clubgolf 
 2004-05 
£35,000
£15,000


 
 2005-06 
£36,000
£2,000


 
 2006-07 
£37,000
£15,000



  Stirling Council were also involved in piloting the programme Developing the potential of Young People in Sports, receiving £55,277 (lottery funded) in March 2002, running to March 2005. This programme linked in with schools to identify and develop sporting talent.

  Finally, Stirling Council received a TOP Award of £60,220 (Lottery funded) in 2002. TOP is a four year programme which is run in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust. The aim of the programme is to support primary school aged children in increasing their physical activity and skill level, encourage their involvement in sport and enhance the existing PE curriculum both in the school and local community.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30357 by Patricia Ferguson on 21 December 2006, how many local authorities have made Stage 2 applications and whether any of those who lodged Stage 2 applications have requested additional funding from the Executive or sportscotland to ensure that the facility is developed.

Patricia Ferguson: As I noted in my response to answer to question S2W-30591 on 15 January 2007, in principle allocations at Stage 1 are only intended to give an indication of financial support which may be available for any project. However, actual investment decisions are only made after receipt of a Stage 2 application and after careful consideration of such by sportscotland.

  Stage 2 applications have been received from Glasgow City Council, Aberdeen City Council and Stirling Council.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Sport

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-30357 by Patricia Ferguson on 21 December 2006, whether Glasgow City Council or Aberdeen City Council has requested additional funding over and above the in principle allocation and, if so, how much has been requested.

Patricia Ferguson: As I noted in my response to the answer to question S2W-30591 on 15 January 2007, in principle allocations at Stage 1 are only intended to give an indication of financial support which may be available for any project. However, actual investment decisions are only made after receipt of a Stage 2 application and after careful consideration of such by sportscotland.

  Sportscotland has made investment decisions in relation to the Stage 2 applications received from Glasgow City Council and Aberdeen City Council both of which have been announced.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Statistics

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to A Smart Successful Scotland; Measuring Progress Towards a Smart Successful Scotland 2006 , what numerical figures were used in compiling Chart 3: Indices of GDP per hour worked for each country featured in the chart, including Scotland, for both 1999 and 2004.

Nicol Stephen: The underlying data for the report Measuring Progress Towards a Smart Successful Scotland 2006  were published on the Scottish Executive website alongside the main report on 19 December and are available via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2006/12/19161336/data .

Statistics

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in the last five years the publication dates of statistics that it produces have been changed and, in each case, what the subject matter was, what the original and final date of publication were, what the reasons were for the delay in publication and who took the decision to delay.

Mr Tom McCabe: In accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice (2002), the Chief Statistician has final responsibility for determining, pre-announcing and, if necessary, altering the dates of publication of National Statistics and other relevant statistics produced by the Executive.

  Any decision to change a pre-announced publication date will be based on a range of professional considerations.

  When dates are changed, details are placed on the Executive website and key users are notified.

  The Executive has no historical record of the occasions on which a pre-announced publication date was changed in the last five years. However, we are aware of eight occasions in the 2006 calendar year. The details are shown in the following table:

  Table 1: Changes to Pre-Announced Publication Dates, Scottish Executive, 2006

  

Publication Name
 Pre-Announced Date
 Publication Date
 Reason for Change


 People Assisted Through Supporting People Funding 2004-2005
 31-01-2006
 21-02-2006
 Delay in receiving and checking data.


 Fire Statistics 2004
 28-02-2006
 16-02-2006
 To coincide with publication of UK statistics bulletin.


 Operation of Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland: Quarters ending 30 June and 30 September 2005 (temporary accommodation to 31 December 2005)
 29-03-2006
 28-03-2006
 To keep day of the week in line with previous years.


 Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture
 15-05-2006
 17-05-2006
 To keep day of the week in line with previous years.


 Firearm Certificate Statistics 2005
 19-05-2006
 25-05-2006
 Delay in receiving data.


 Bank Advances to Agriculture
 01-08-2006
 03-08-2006
 To keep day of the week in line with previous years.


 Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland: National & Local Authority Analyses 2005-06
 05-09-2006
 26-09-2006
 Delay in checking data.


 Final Results of the June 2006 Agricultural Census
 26-10-2006
 25-10-2006
 To keep day of the week in line with previous years.



  Note: Publications released by the General Register Office for Scotland and ISD NHS National Services Scotland have not been included.

Teachers

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the number of newly qualified (a) secondary and (b) primary school teachers who had not taken up full-time teaching posts one year after qualification in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Hugh Henry: Comprehensive data relating to this question is not held centrally.

  The most recent and comprehensive indication of employment status following induction stems from research in 2005 by the General Teaching Council for Scotland among those who completed their induction year in 2005, which found that almost 95% of respondents were now teaching in Scotland, of which 70% were in full-time permanent posts.

  Data held by the Scottish Executive allows comparison of the lists of the GTCS registration numbers of probationers on the 2003-04 and 2004-05 induction schemes with the registration numbers of teachers recorded in the September 2004 and 2005 teacher censuses. This shows the following:

  

 Induction scheme year (sector)
 Number of Probationers on Induction Scheme
 Number of Probationers from Induction Scheme not Recorded in the September Teacher Census Following End of Induction as being in a Full-Time Teaching Post in a Local Authority School


 2003-04 (secondary)
 929
 359


 2003-04 (primary)
 916
 392


 2004-05 (secondary)
 1,009
 287


 2004-05 (primary)
 1,084
 381